PE Hangup

[f2cf1g]

Never seen this one before. After a month or so layoff I have been trying to download the embryo of a new piece of PICAXE software. No download progress box displayed and the PE hung up with a "Not responding" flagged in the window title bar. The only way out was to restart the machine. I tried again with another AXE027 cable, a different USB port and a different processor on a different boards in various combinations with no joy. I also reinstalled the PE from a fresh download. Presumably this is a USB driver problem. The only event during the layoff which I think could have a bearing is that I let a Windows update take place a week or so ago, everything else on the machine seems to be OK. I'm on Vista Version 6.0 SP2. Any ideas on solving this gratefully received.
Roy

 

[nick12ab]

Have you selected the correct COM port?

 

[f2cf1g]

Have you selected the correct COM port?

Yup, COM3, same as usual. Also tried COM5, that doesn't work either.

 

[nick12ab]

Under Windows Update in the control panel, you will see an option to view update history. Find out exactly what was installed between when downloading did work and when it first didn't.

Did you change anything else as well as install these updates?

 

[f2cf1g]

Under Windows Update in the control panel, you will see an option to view update history. Find out exactly what was installed between when downloading did work and when it first didn't.

Did you change anything else as well as install these updates?

Hi Nick12ab, thanks for your reply, I appreciate your help. I've checked the log and no update has failed since the PE last worked. In that period I have updated DipTrace and Real Player. I haven't knowlingly changed anything else (don't dare).

I have new information though, It's not just download that causes a hang, I can get it to lock up simply by selecting Help/About when the download cable is plugged in (seems to be OK when it's not), i.e. without attempting to download. The problem would seem to be associated with download cable recognition/setup or some such. Strange this should happen after 3 years with no problems. Incidentally, my DPScope works perfectly through COM3.

 

[nick12ab]

I don't just mean updates that have failed, I mean all of them.

Realplayer - isn't that just a bloated piece of software for advertising pay-for downloads? Seems possible that that could cause an issue (due to the bloatware and everything that comes bundled with it). Diptrace probably isn't it because many forum members use Diptrace.

Do you have any bluetooth stuff installed? Bluetooth often causes problems with COM ports.

Strange this should happen after 3 years with no problems.

Isn't reinstalling Windows supposed to be an annual event?

 

[srnet]

Isn't reinstalling Windows supposed to be an annual event?

I cant recall any of my desktop Windows installs ever lasting as long as a year.

 

[f2cf1g]

I don't just mean updates that have failed, I mean all of them.

Realplayer - isn't that just a bloated piece of software for advertising pay-for downloads? Seems possible that that could cause an issue (due to the bloatware and everything that comes bundled with it). Diptrace probably isn't it because many forum members use Diptrace.

Do you have any bluetooth stuff installed? Bluetooth often causes problems with COM ports.

Isn't reinstalling Windows supposed to be an annual event?

OK, I've looked at the list, all are security updates except a couple of Vista updates, one about daylight saving time, the other extending disk volumes. I have no idea what to make of that.
I have had Bluetooth bits on here for years, they haven't been touched for years either, so unlikely source of problems I would have thought. I have never had to reinstall Windows before, I guess I'm going to have to learn how now since there doesn't appear to be anything else to do. Something for the morning I think.

 

[SAborn]

I have run the same copy of vista for years and never needed to do a reinstall.

Before you go that drastic route, its worth backing the PC up to a earlier restore point of before the updates, or other downloaded stuff took place.

I have had some problems with windows updates in the past and doing a system restore to a earlier point always solves the issues.

Start menu >>Accessories >> System Tools >> System Restore >> follow the prompts from there.

It will not effect any files or work you have done of late on the PC, just changes to the hardware/sortware will be reset to a earlier selected point.

Then run a good virus scan to check if there is a virus hiding on your PC.

 

[mrburnette]

I cant recall any of my desktop Windows installs ever lasting as long as a year.

Absolutely NO!

With XP, there started a tool that routinely created backups of the system registry prior to application installation and OS patches, etc. The Restore system state is a calendar counterpart utility that should make the need for reinstalling the OS nearly not-necessary.

Adding programs and deleting programs and normal use can cause the Windows registry to grow larger than necessary and since the registry is a "RAM-hosted" database, the system can slow as applications are swapped due to RAM starvation - but registry cleaning utilities and compression utilities can assist, but may cause issues if not the very latest versions. Generally, RAM can be increased to 2G for XP to assist with swapfile churning.

I have several Windows machines (XP and Vista) that have never been OS reloaded.

- Ray
(Once MCSE in a different life)

 

[Buzby]

OT - I've got a hole in my registry !.

Just like Ray I've got a few XP machines, been running for years, and have never had to re-install Windows ( except for one when the HDD physically broke. )

However, one machine has a 'hole' in the 'Add or Remove Programs' list.
It's a very big empty space between two entries, and it is big, over 90% of the list is taken up by this 'gap'.
It doesn't seem to be affecting the machine, but I'm sure it can't be doing any good either.

The 'gap' does not seem to be related to an entry in the list, as it moves depending on the sort option applied to the list.
Sorted by name, the gap is between Networx and Nirsoft Produkey
Sorted by size, the gap is between Filezilla Client and GPL Ghostscript Lite

I've run CCleaner regularly, but the hole remains. There are plenty 'registry fixers' on the Net, but I'm wary of using any without a recommendation.

Can anyone suggest a fix ?. ( I can follow instructions to use regedit, if that helps. )

Cheers,

Buzby

 

[Technical]

Never seen this one before. After a month or so layoff I have been trying to download the embryo of a new piece of PICAXE software. No download progress box displayed and the PE hung up with a "Not responding" flagged in the window title bar. The only way out was to restart the machine. I tried again with another AXE027 cable, a different USB port and a different processor on a different boards in various combinations with no joy. I also reinstalled the PE from a fresh download. Presumably this is a USB driver problem. The only event during the layoff which I think could have a bearing is that I let a Windows update take place a week or so ago, everything else on the machine seems to be OK. I'm on Vista Version 6.0 SP2. Any ideas on solving this gratefully received.
Roy

Something is stopping the FTDI USB drivers for the AXE027 working correctly. There have been a few reports in the past of anti-virus mistakes such as this:
http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?22894-ERR-48-FTchipID-dll&highlight=ftchipid.dll
http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?15939-FTChipID-dll&highlight=ftchipid.dll

So check your A-V isn't blocking files it shouldn't be.

 

[Technical]

OT - I've got a hole in my registry !.

However, one machine has a 'hole' in the 'Add or Remove Programs' list.
It's a very big empty space between two entries, and it is big, over 90% of the list is taken up by this 'gap'.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266668

 

[nick12ab]

Just like Ray I've got a few XP machines, been running for years, and have never had to re-install Windows ( except for one when the HDD physically broke. )

How often a reinstallation is needed does depend on how fast the computers are and how much they are used.

So if you have 10 computers which are used evenly then that will reduce how often a reinstallation is necessary. It won't cause them to only need a reinstallation 1/10th as often as normal because there will still be the same amount of Microsoft security updates per computer but if any third party software that is installed is distributed between these computers then the registry bloat is too so it'll have less effect on any one computer.

Computer speed is a bigger factor - if you have a Core 2 Extreme or Core i7, an SSD and 3GB+ of RAM* then a reinstallation will never be required unless it starts to crash for no apparent reason.

*32-bit versions are limited to about this and the 64-bit version of Windows XP is not compatible with much hardware but you should use 64-bit versions of Vista, 7 & 8 where possible since they can use more RAM and are compatible with a lot of stuff.

An important factor is third party software - e.g. Firefox gets very bloated over time and just shouldn't be used on anything less than a Core 2 Duo unless you like it slow. Since a reinstallation of Windows destroys anything left behind by a Firefox uninstallation it does make it look like Windows was causing the problem.

 

[mrburnette]

How often a reinstallation is needed does depend on how fast the computers are and how much they are used. <...>

@nick: I would venture that "used" should be taken as "abused"... not in a mean way, mind you. But if one abuses a Windows PC by running lots of non-polished applications (alpha, beta, homebrew, poor commercial apps.) then the install/uninstall process may simply not be perfected; which is to say, trash gets left in the registry and is often "version centric" which means with each new test version comes a new branch of the software tree! This is nasty business. Even Microsoft is not all that good at working miracles on the uninstall of programs... often Technet released software and public/developer previews will play havoc with the registry.

Using a PC 7x24 will have absolutely no affect on the registry size, however, using a Windows PC with lots of software which undergoes install/uninstall will likely create issues... perhaps in stability or perceived operating speed. RAM goes a long way to combating this issue, but ultimately most folks resort to simply reinstalling the OS.

A dated article but still relevant:
registry-junk-a-windows-fact-of-life.aspx Some may recognize Mark as one of the authors of the old SysInternals set of Windows utilities.

- Ray

PS: My dual-processor HP that I use for video DVD and digital camera art is 5 years old and has NEVER been connected to the Intranet... it is on a private TCP/IP, non-DHCP LAN segment so the router blocks access! This machine has never had a single Microsoft Update to the installed XP. While I have installed all manner of software: SCSI film scanners, Canon flatbed, Nikon/Canon/Sony video and editing software... the box runs just as fresh as it did on day 1. I have replaced some hardware, but I never uninstalled the old drivers... simply no reason to do so. This is an example of Extreme Windows Computing where the value of the software and function that the software performs outweighs the price of the hardware. I have two such machines that are workhorses that get serious usage but are dedicated... to keep costs reasonable, I buy refurb manufacturer hardware (big discount.)

Windows is a complex piece of software and is not perfect. It is good, but not great (well, not super-great anyway.) For a commodity product, MS has done pretty well, however.

 

[f2cf1g]

Thanks everybody for your replies and advice. After establishing that turning off AVG had no effect, I fiddled about using device manager, uninstalling and reinstalling the AXE027 device driver. The lockup problem has gone away and download works again. I'll try that first time next time. Thanks again and Happy New Year!
Roy

 

[westaust55]

Isn't reinstalling Windows supposed to be an annual event?

How often a reinstallation is needed does depend on how fast the computers are and how much they are used

Well after some heavy almost daily use (except some occasions when away from home for from a couple of days to a week over the past few years) my primary PC "crashed" this week.
The C: driver partition became severely corrupted and even WinXP would not initially re-install- which funnily enough was after an Win XP update on Wed (Aust time)
I have had to start rebuilding the Hard Drive C: partition by re-formatting and re-installing all the software. Test didn't find and actual HDD surface faults.

Checking records, seems that I last did a HDD C: drive rebuild in October 2009. D: and E: partitions were still okay (and I do have back-ups to external HDD's and some "stuff" to DVD's
While probably far from a record it is certainty far better than the idea of an annual rebuild.

 

[inglewoodpete]

While probably far from a record it is certainty far better than the idea of an annual rebuild.

My observation with XP is that the more you stuff around with it, the shorter the "life" of a build.

Anecdatal example: We had a single "Family" PC for a few years. My 2 kids and their friends would regularly instal shop-purchased CD and downloaded games and we had all sorts of problems with it. As the children got older, as a learning exercise for them, we built PCs for them and, mysteriously(!), the problems transferred to their PCs.

The original PC, used only by my wife and I (and after one final rebuild), is still going like a train. The motherboard is now 8 years old but will not last much longer due to bulging electrolytics around the old Pentium 4 CPU.

Loading software and then unloading it with XP does not return the PC to its original state.

 

[srnet]

The C: driver partition became severely corrupted and even WinXP would not initially re-install- which funnily enough was after an Win XP update on Wed (Aust time)
I have had to start rebuilding the Hard Drive C: partition by re-formatting and re-installing all the software. Test didn't find and actual HDD surface faults

Disk corruption is not that unusual, I have had windows corruptions before, for whatever reason.

However, if this happens I just reach across to the CD rack, boot the disk imaging software, and everything is back to normal in about 15 minutes.